Hong Kong Watch welcomes the introduction of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Reauthorization Act

Hong Kong Watch welcomes the introduction of Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Reauthorization Act (S.93), which reauthorizes and strengthens the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016.

The legislation introduced by United States Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Roger Wicker strengthens the United States' Magnitsky regime.

S.93 aims at harmonizing the original Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act with Executive Order 13818 by:

1. Removing the victim status requirement to ensure no victim is excluded;
2. Adopting the “serious human rights abuse” and “violation of internationally recognized
Human rights” standards to expand the actors and abuses eligible for sanctions;
3. Simplifying the standard for corruption offenses;
4. Supplementing the activity-based targeting standard with a status-based standard; and
5. Allowing for the sanctioning of immediate family members.

The proposal also calls for reports on steps taken through diplomacy and assistance to foreign or security stakeholders to address persistent underlying causes of serious human rights abuses, internationally-recognized human rights violations, and corruption in countries which foreign persons have been subject to sanctions. It simultaneously repeals the sunset clauses in the original act.

Since our establishment in 2017, we have actively participated in advocacy encouraging governments to establish Magnitsky-style mechanisms in holding human rights abusers accountable. As the Chinese Communist Party continues to tighten its grip over the freedoms and rights of the Hongkongers, Uyghurs and Tibetans, we urge the U.S. government to continue to defend our universal values with different mechanisms.